Novak Djokovic dominated rival Rafael Nadal at the start, then held off a comeback attempt to win 6-1, 6-4 at the Paris Olympics in the second round on Monday, the 60th—and likely last—head-to-head matchup between the two tennis greats, reports the AP. Djokovic claimed 10 of the initial 11 games, with Nadal nowhere near the skilled and ever-hustling version of himself that won a record 14 French Open trophies on the same red clay at the Roland-Garros stadium, which is hosting the Summer Games matches. Instead, Nadal was diminished, showing every bit of his 38 years, and looking like someone who might be ready to head into retirement after playing only sparingly the past two seasons because of a series of injuries.
Then, suddenly, the indefatigable Nadal got going, making a push to turn the contest competitive, which surely no one—least of all Djokovic—found too surprising. Nadal captured four consecutive games in the second set, including a forehand winner to break to make it 4-all. He raised his left fist, drawing roars from a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd that repeatedly tried to encourage him with chants of "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!" That's when Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia, regained control. He broke right back, pointing to his left ear while walking to the sideline as if to taunt Nadal's supporters. Djokovic then served out the victory, before meeting Nadal at the net for a hug.
Djokovic owns 24 Grand Slam titles, and Nadal 22, the two highest men's totals in the century-plus history of the sport; both have been ranked No. 1; and no pair of men has played each other more often in the professional era. They are two-thirds of the so-called "Big Three" of men's tennis, along with Roger Federer, who retired with 20 Grand Slam titles. But Djokovic and Nadal are accustomed to meeting—and fans are accustomed to watching them—in the latter stages of events, including nine major finals, not merely the second round. It happened that early this time because while Djokovic is the top seed at the Summer Games, Nadal's ranking is outside the top 150 on account of a lack of matches. (More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)
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